“Somali officials are warning the federal and regional governments of Somalia
not to underestimate the strength of militant groups al-Shabab and Islamic
State as authorities plan new military operations against them. Despite recent
successes in dislodging al-Shabab from vast countryside areas in central
Somalia, the militant group hit back, setting off deadly explosions and raiding
military bases and installations, killing dozens. In the latest attack Tuesday,
an al-Shabab suicide car bomb targeted a building housing regional officials
who have been planning mobilizations against al-Shabab in the town of Bardhere,
Gedo region. The attack killed four soldiers and injured nine others. On March
7, al-Shabab raided a military base at Janaa Cabdalle village, killing at least
five soldiers. Somali officials warn that al-Shabab’s militia strength is
‘intact,’ and they argue recent operations did not substantially weaken the
group’s strength.”











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Eye on Extremism



March 15, 2023



Voice Of America News: Officials Warn Against Underestimating Al-Shabab And IS
In Somalia
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“Somali officials are warning the federal and regional governments of Somalia
not to underestimate the strength of militant groups al-Shabab and Islamic
State as authorities plan new military operations against them. Despite recent
successes in dislodging al-Shabab from vast countryside areas in central
Somalia, the militant group hit back, setting off deadly explosions and raiding
military bases and installations, killing dozens. In the latest attack Tuesday,
an al-Shabab suicide car bomb targeted a building housing regional officials
who have been planning mobilizations against al-Shabab in the town of Bardhere,
Gedo region. The attack killed four soldiers and injured nine others. On March
7, al-Shabab raided a military base at Janaa Cabdalle village, killing at least
five soldiers. Somali officials warn that al-Shabab’s militia strength is
‘intact,’ and they argue recent operations did not substantially weaken the
group’s strength.”



The National: The Five Most Dangerous Terror Groups In 2022
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“Four of the terrorist groups that killed the most people last year were ISIS
affiliates, ending the lives of 1,833 people in 643 attacks worldwide, a new
report has shown. Those numbers are a drop from 2021, when 2,194 people were
killed in 865 attacks. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) from the Institute of
Economics and Peace released its annual report on Monday, detailing trends in
terrorism around the world, including a list of the deadliest groups. Here's
what you need to know:”



United States



IrishCentral: Boston Officials Have White Supremacists “On Their Radar” Ahead
Of St. Patrick’s Day
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“…Last year, members of the Nationalist Social Club / NSC 131, which is
described as a neo-Nazi group by both the Counter Extremism Project and the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), hung a banner that read "Keep Boston Irish" along
the South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade's route. The neo-Nazi group also
filmed themselves that day handing out fliers at the parade. One flier read "if
you love your heritage and your city, join us!" while another read, "above all,
we stand for the security and prosperity of white New Englanders."”



WTOP News: Washington FBI Chief ‘Concerned All The Time’ About Terrorism,
Spies And Crime
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“…It was a threat that other terror groups adopted that chills western
counterterrorism officials to the bone. “It means we need to be perfect 100% of
the time. They need to be perfect only once,” said Hans-Jakob Schindler, Sr.
Director of the Counter Extremism Project, in an interview. Schindler said
terror groups are essentially waiting for the right opportunity to attack
western countries. “They recognize that we have all the technology, that we
have the military might, and great intelligence agencies,” Schindler said.
“They also understand that we have very evolved and complex societies and
economies.” But most importantly, he said, “They also know we can’t predict
when they will attack.””



CT Examiner: Uproar In Stamford As White Supremacist Literature Blankets
Neighborhoods
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“…The NSC is a loose network of small chapters acting under their own rules,
according to the Counter Extremism Project, a non-partisan international policy
group that combats extremist threats. NSC is also known as NSC-131; the 131 is
alphanumeric code for a-c-a, or anti-communist action, according to the Counter
Extremism Project. The flyers found in Springdale, Pepper Ridge and High Ridge
refer to New England 131, likely a chapter of NSC-131. ‘The flyers are in
plastic bags so they won’t be destroyed if it rains. The rocks are in there so
the bags don’t fly away,’ Sobel said. ‘In other places in Connecticut we’ve
seen oatmeal in the bags instead of rocks. People are taking time to make sure
you get their message.’ It’s a tactic designed to intimidate with little risk
that the perpetrators will get caught, Sobel said.”



Pakistan



Voice Of America News: Pakistan Suffers Record Terror-Related Deaths,
Afghanistan Registers 58% Drop
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“Pakistan recorded the second largest increase in terrorism-related deaths
worldwide in 2022, with the toll rising significantly to 643, a 120% rise from
the 292 deaths the previous year, a new report said Tuesday. The year saw
Pakistan overtake Afghanistan as the country with the most terrorist attacks
and deaths in South Asia, a position held by the latter since 2017, said the
annual Global Terrorism Index (GTI), released by the Australia-based Institute
for Economics and Peace (IEP). Burkina Faso had the largest number of deaths
globally, increasing from 759 to 1,135 in 2022. The GTI said Afghanistan
remained the country ‘most impacted’ by terrorism for the fourth consecutive
year, despite attacks falling by 75% and deaths being reduced by 58% in 2022.
Afghanistan recorded 633 deaths in 2022, according to the GTI.”



Pakistan Observer: CTD Arrests TTP Terrorist, Recovers Kalashnikov
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“The Sindh Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Investigation Wing on Tuesday
claimed to have arrested a terrorist affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) Tariq Geedhar group who had come to Karachi to carry out terrorist
activities. According to a CTD spokesman, the arrested accused identified as
Israr, was a close aide of the group’s commander and had reached Karachi 20
days ago from Darra Adam Khel. CTD also recovered a Kalashnikov from his
possession, he said, adding, the accused had been a facilitator in a number of
terrorist activities.”



Dawn: Four ‘Militants’ Killed In D.I. Khan, N. Waziristan
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“Four alleged militants were killed and three injured in two separate
intelligence-based operations in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan
districts on Tuesday. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police’s Counter Terrorism Department
(CTD) said an operation was launched on a tip-off about the presence of
militants near the Bhagwani area within the limits of the Dera Town police
station. The CTD statement added that the militants opened fire on law
enforcement personnel as they closed in on the location, forcing them to
retaliate. The firing left two militants dead two while three managed to
escape. The deceased were identified as Akhtar Munir and Abdul Aziz and they
were wanted by the D.I. Khan CTD in several terrorism cases, according to the
statement.”



Middle East



AFP News: Hamas Warns Israel Against 'Violations' During Ramadan
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“The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas warned Israel on Tuesday it would
react to any possible ‘violations’ at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem
during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Hamas, which rules the Gaza
Strip, issued the warning less than two weeks before the start of Ramadan and
amid an escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict under Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Salah al-Aruri, deputy head of the Hamas political
bureau, said the risk of escalation entirely "depends on the Israeli
occupation's violations across Palestine and at Al-Aqsa mosque" located in
annexed east Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa, a Jordan-administered mosque compound, is the
third holiest site in Islam. It is built on top of what Jews call the Temple
Mount, Judaism's holiest site.”



The National: UAE Teams Up With US Anti-Semitism Group To Combat Extremism And
Promote Peace
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“The UAE has launched a centre for coexistence to counter extremist
ideologies and promote peace and tolerance across the region. The Manara
Centre, based in Abu Dhabi, aims to help lay the groundwork for a future where
all are treated equally, regardless of faith or ethnicity. It has been
established in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil
rights group based in the US. The organisation will work with universities in
the Middle East and South-East Asia to further its goals, with education
programmes to be introduced in August. Ten universities are due to introduce
scholarships as part of the academic scheme.”



The Times Of Israel: Far-Right MK Probed By Police For Terror Incitement After
Calling For ‘Burnt Huwara’
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“Police said Tuesday they summoned Otzma Yehudit MK Zvika Fogel for
questioning as part of a probe into alleged incitement to terror after the
lawmaker explicitly backed extremist settlers who torched Palestinian homes and
vehicles in the northern West Bank town of Huwara. In a statement, police said
they have opened an investigation into Fogel for the comments, and that he was
summoned for questioning Tuesday by the serious crimes unit. Last month, the
coalition lawmaker, a former Israel Defense Forces brigadier general, gave his
unambiguous backing to the rioters, who rampaged through the town hours after
two Israeli brothers were killed in a terror attack there, saying: ‘A closed,
burnt Huwara — that’s what I want to see.’ ‘That’s the only way to achieve
deterrence. After a murder like yesterday’s, we need burning villages when the
IDF doesn’t act,’ Fogel told Galey Israel Radio. Following the outrage over his
comments, Fogel tweeted that his words had been ‘distorted,’ without explaining
how.”



Nigeria



Vanguard: I Killed Over 15 Persons In Katsina, Says 28-Year-Old Terrorist
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“28-years-old Suleiman Iliyasu of Walawa Asaurara, Sabuwar Ungwa, Jibiia LGA,
Katsina State has confessed to killing over 15 persons in different banditry
attack across katsina State. Iliyasu, popularly referred to as Yar’bushiya made
the confession at the Katsina Police Command Headquarters where he was paraded
before pressmen on Tuesday. The spokesperson of the Command, SP Gambo Isah, who
paraded the suspect noted that “Yar’bushiya was arrested by the Area Commander,
Dutsinma few days back for various crimes related to terrorism. ‘The suspect
had participated in several armed robbery, kidnapping and cattle rustling
across the state,’ Gambo said.”



Somalia



Associated Press: Witnesses Say Extremist Attack In Somalia Kills At Least 9
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“Witnesses say at least nine people, including five soldiers, were killed
Tuesday when an explosives-laden car targeted the entrance of a guest house in
the southern Somalia town of Bardhere in Gedo region. Suleyman Hassan, who
works with the district commissioner, told The Associated Press that the
governor and senior military officers were wounded and airlifted to the
capital, Mogadishu. The extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for
the attack that occurred as military officers and Gedo administration officials
in Bardhere began to recruit locals to help drive al-Shabab out of the Middle
and Lower Jubba districts. Witness Ibrahim Aden said at least 10 people
including civilians were wounded. ‘I have seen with my own eyes several people,
including two of my distant relatives, sustain injuries,’ he said.”



Africa



Reuters: Islamic State Claims Responsibility For East Congo Attack That Killed
19
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“Islamic State claimed responsibility for an east Congo village attack that
killed 19 people on Sunday, according to the group's Amaq news agency.
Officials said on Sunday that suspected Islamist militants killed at least 19
people and burned a medical facility in a raid on Kirindera village in eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo.”



Reuters: As Russia Looms, US Seeks Influence In West Africa's Fight Against
Islamists
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“U.S. commanders leading annual counter-terrorism exercises in West Africa
have urged coastal countries to depend on each other to contain a spreading
Islamist insurgency, rather than non-Western powers, after Mali last year hired
Russian mercenaries. Relations between Russia and the U.S. have become more
hostile since Moscow invaded Ukraine over a year ago, and Washington and its
allies oppose Russian influence in West Africa. During drills this month in
northern Ghana, trainers urged troops to share phone numbers with foreign
counterparts operating over poorly marked borders, often just a few miles
apart. Elsewhere, soldiers have also learned to use motorbikes, as the
insurgents do, for their speed and manoeuvrability.”



Defence Web: Fatalities From Militant Islamist Violence In Africa Soar By 50
Per Cent
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“Over the last year, violence linked to Islamist groups in Africa increased
by a quarter while deaths grew by almost 50% to over 19 000, representing a new
record of extremist violence, according to a new report. The Africa Center for
Strategic Studies (ACSS) said the increase in violence continues a decade-long
upward trend, and reflects a near doubling in the number of such events since
2019, with violence concentrated in the Sahel, Somalia, Lake Chad Basin,
Mozambique, and North Africa. The estimated 19 109 death toll passes the
previous peak of 18 850 fatalities linked to militant Islamists set in 2015
when Boko Haram was at its height. It also marks a sharp reversal from 2021,
which saw a slight drop in fatalities to 12 920. Militant Islamist violence in
the Sahel and Somalia accounted for the majority (77%) of the total reported
violent events across Africa in 2022 as extremist-linked deaths in the Lake
Chad Basin, Mozambique, and North Africa all plateaued or declined over the
past year, the ACSS reported.”



United Kingdom



Mirror: 'American Spy Working At GCHQ' Stabbed In 'Terror Attack' As Man, 29,
Arrested
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“A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and terrorism
offences after a woman was stabbed near GCHQ's headquarters. The woman
sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where she
remains in a stable condition. Gloucestershire Police confirmed a 29-year-old
suspect was arrested in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, following the incident
outside a leisure centre at around 9.15am on March 9. The man was arrested on
suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism contrary
to Section 41 of the Terrorism Act (2000), as well as on suspicion of preparing
acts of terrorism under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act (2006). The force said
due to some specific details of this incident, Counter Terrorism Policing South
East is leading the investigation, working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing
South West and officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary.”



Germany



Anadolu Agency: 319 German Soldiers Suspected Of Right-Wing Extremism:
Ombudsman
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“German authorities identified at least 319 suspected cases of right-wing
extremism in the armed forces, parliamentary armed forces ombudsman Eva Hogl
said Tuesday. Hogl said right-wing extremism in the military remains a concern
despite a decrease in cases in 2022, compared to the previous year. ‘Right-wing
extremism is also a problem in the German armed forces. In total, 319 cases
were reported last year. While the decrease is a positive development, this is
an issue which should be closely monitored,’ she said at a news conference in
Berlin. Hogl said the military is taking new measures to address the problem,
disciplinary processes will be accelerated and those who commit such offenses
will be quickly expelled from military service.”



Australia



Daily Mail: ISIS Bride Who Was Returned To Australia Conceals Her Face As She
Fronts Court On Charges She Willingly Entered Syria To Join Her Husband While
He Fought For The Terror Outfit
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“Mariam Raad on Wednesday fronted court in person for the first time since
being charged with knowingly entering Islamic State territory in 2014 to join
the father of her four children, senior IS fighter Muhammad Zahab. The
31-year-old appeared at Young Local Court where her case was adjourned to give
prosecutors more time to compile 'outstanding' evidence including financial
records and messages sent by mobile devices while she was in Syria. Ms Raad has
been living in the regional NSW town since she was brought back to Australia in
October last year from a displaced persons camp in north-eastern Syria where
she had been living for about three years. She was rescued from squalid
conditions in the Al Roj camp, near the Iraqi border, along with three other
women and 13 children whose relatives are IS members who are missing or dead.”



Yemen



5 Dariya News: 10 Killed In Al-Qaeda Attack In Yemen
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“At least 10 people were killed on Tuesday in an attack by Al-Qaeda
terrorists on members of government forces in Yemen's Shabwa province, the
media reported, citing officials. ‘A group of gunmen of the Yemen-based
al-Qaida branch launched an attack on Al-Safra point of the Fifth Brigade of
Shabwa's local defence troops,’ an official told Xinhua news agency on the
condition of anonymity. ‘The militants launched an attack on the checkpoint,
using heavy weapons and grenades, surrounding the soldiers and cutting off
their escape routes,’ he said. ‘However, reinforcements from other government
troops in Shabwa arrived quickly on the scene and provided timely intervention
support to the beleaguered troops,’ he added. The reinforcements engaged the
attackers in a fierce fire-fight, eliminating at least six terrorists and
bringing the situation under control.”



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